|
Alamieyeseigha: Deconstructing Nigeria's Perpetual Stuttering By Chuma Obiora September 15 2005 has marked a watershed in the life of Bayelsa State Governor, D S P Alamieyeseigha. To him, it must have been a very long day. The evil the day forebode may not have been very apparent until perhaps the rapid succession of events in the past few weeks. But the fact is, for itchy palms like Alami’s, the day of reckoning always comes. I am sure he will secretly wish that day never came. But that can only remain a wish. He must dance to the tune of the music invented by his purloining tendencies. The succession of events till date (popularly called Alamieyeseigha Saga) h as explained in every material particular, Nigeria’s unrestrained descent to poverty and all that is base and unedifying over the years. . Alami’s arrest in London on that fateful day actually opened a can of worms. The amount of money that was said to have been found in his home and different bank accounts is indeed mind-boggling – money whose ownership he can neither deny nor explain its source. His current journey to Golgotha actually started at this point. It is instructive to note that Alami has been very vocal in the struggle for resource control for his Ijaw kinsmen and Niger-Delta in general. In fact he has attributed his current travails to his dogged fight against the federal government’s unfair sharing of Nigeria’s oil wealth, which according to him, short-changes his people in whose land most of Nigeria’s oil and by implication, it’s wealth is produced. But the unfolding events do not make a picture of a selfless activist out of Alams. To be sure, Bayelsa state with a population of less than two million receives about 5 billion naira from the federation account monthly. This contrasts sharply with some states especially from the north with higher population but receive less than a quarter of that amount. The import of this cause he claims to be fighting is that more money will be taken from these seemingly poorer states to add to his. If this skewed formula is being promoted because of his love for his people who suffer the devastations of oil exploration, one may be tempted to reason with him. But his people’s grinding and growing poverty and his unbridled looting of their resources only suggests intentions less than noble. The ‘resource control’ thing is only a façade to corner more money for him to purloin. This replicates in many activist circles in Nigeria. People that believe in nothing masquerade as activists purely for self-aggrandisement. . When it was time for Alami’s bail, a certain Nigerian named Terry Waya whose means is still shrouded in mystery came to take advantage of his supposed friend’s predicament. What he intended to achieve remains unclear but it is not uncommon in Nigeria to see jobbers jumping into crises and complicating issues just to score cheap and selfish points. . And now the big one: Alami’s escape from London. Stories have it that his passport was seized by British authorities. He therefore possibly travelled with a fake passport after jumping bail. He was equally said to have disguised as a woman. He has even created more room for speculation by attributing his evil escape from justice to God! Painfully, God is always th e culprit in any political, economic or social mis-step in Nigeria. But we know that his ignoble escape only confirmed what has always been said about him, though in hushed tones – he was never a man of honour! Not even his exalted office can tame his touting tendencies. That only goes to confirm the widely held belief that Nigerian politicians are brigands and rogues. Of course this is apparent in the manner Alami’s party, PDP is run. The party abhors decency and is therefore peopled by men and women without scruples. It is not surprising therefore that PDP sacked men like Audu Ogbeh, Solomon Lar, Sunday Awoniyi; sidelined people like Alex Ekwueme and Adamu Chiroma and welcomed a self-confessed election rigger and arsonist like Chris Uba back into its fold. Such iniquitous setting is a natural platform for heists and hooligans like Alami. Birds of a feather…………… The action of members of Bayelsa state House of Assembly since his shameful escape from London has shown that decency is far away from them. The members have been speaking from both sides of the mouth on the issue of impeachment of a governor that has obviously lost all moral grounds to remain in office. And in this miasma, Alami is adamant trying to fight his battles even in the face of his monumental malfeasance that has brought shame and disrepute to his person, office and country. This is the height of irresponsibility and poor appreciation of moral demands of public office by the Nigerian political class. Sickening! . And in the larger Bayelsa community, tumultuous crowd came out to welcome the fugitive governor on arrival. This goes to show how governments in Nigeria plague their citizens with poverty and illiteracy and in turn manipulate them for political advantage. Sad and shameful! Those that came to cheer this man that obviously inflicted them with poverty deserve pity, not condemnation. . The Alami saga replicates in all levels of Nigerian leadership. This is the synopsis of Nigeria’s failure over the years. Alami must resign now or be impeached. Any extra day in that office attracts more odium to him, Bayelsa and Nigeria. We watch Alami’s case keenly while waiting for the next heist. They are everywhere in Nigeria’s bureaucracy including Aso Rock. Their sins will continue to find them out. Nigeria must get up and walk. Chuks Obiora wrote from England. |